By now, almost every investigator understands the value of cell phone forensics and recovering deleted text messages from a cell phone. The very recent introduction of cell phone forensic tools and services is probably the biggest advance in the investigation industry since the invention of the magnifying glass. If an investigator can obtain consent or ownership of a cellular device, they can obtain call logs, call details, text messages, photos, videos, and even voice messages. The amount of information that can be retrieved is staggering. There is probably no better investigative tool available today, but not all investigators realize that cell phone forensics and erased data recovery can be successful on prepaid cell phones.
People concerned about privacy will use a prepaid cell phone because you don’t have to provide a name, address, or phone number when you buy the phone or set up phone service. That’s why prepaid cell phones, also known as disposable phones, are so popular with drug dealers, criminals, and cheating spouses. The entire process can be done anonymously with cash without leaving a paper trail of the phone user’s identity. This makes it very difficult, if not impossible, to perform a reverse phone number lookup or obtain a customer’s name and address. But the phone’s internal memory is no different from any other phone and the stored or deleted data can still be recovered and reduced to a report.
There is no physical difference between a Blackberry on AT&T or a Blackberry on prepaid Internet service. Both phones can undergo a data recovery forensic exam and both exams would return the same amount of data. Similarly, you can subpoena the phone companies record keeper and get all the detailed call records for a prepaid number just like you would for a monthly billed phone number.
In the case of a cell phone forensic examination to recover deleted text and phone numbers from a prepaid phone, the investigator has an advantage over the owner of the device. Most people who use these types of anonymous disposable phones are unaware that a forensic exam will recover all of the deleted information. Once this information is reduced to a report, it can be presented as evidence in court. The phone can be connected to the owner if it is in their possession at the time of the seizure or, in some cases, dialed phone numbers or other identifying information can be found on the phone to connect it to the owner.
Copyright (c) 2011 Opperman Research Inc.